New Rochelle High School Librarian Arrested in Sex Sting Involving 16-Year Old Student

Marisa L. Anton, 34, a female librarian at New Rochelle high school, was arrested Wednesday by New Rochelle Police after going to meet a 16-year old male youth for what she believed would be a sexual encounter. Anton did not report to work today at the high school, sources say. The boy, a student at the school, had complained to his parents that Anton had made inappropriate remarks that made the boy uncomfortable. The parents called the police. The police set up a sting: they had the boy call Anton and arrange a meeting. When Anton showed up for the meeting she was arrested. The initial tip came from long-time Talk of the Sound source and school district insider known only as "Deep Throat".

New Rochelle Police Captain Joseph P. Schaller said the victim came to police headquarters on Sunday, May 27th to report that for the past several months Anton had engaged in explicit sexual conduct. The boy complained that Anton was flirting in emails and text messages.

Schaller said a police investigation confirmed the student's report, and police detectives apprehended Anton when she appeared at the student's residence allegedly to have a sexual encounter

"She invited him to engage in sexual contact," said Schaller. "She was brought in for questioning and taken into custody".

"No sexual contact occurred," added Schaller.

NEW ROCHELLE POLICE STATEMENT: Yesterday afternoon, New Rochelle Police Detectives arrested Marisa Anton, age 33 of34 Winchester Avenue, Yonkers, New York, a Librarian at New Rochelle High School charging her with Disseminating Indecent Material to Minors in the First Degree, a Class D Felony.

On May 27, a sixteen year male student at New Rochelle High School appeared at Police Headquarters and reported that for the past several months Ms. Anton had been sending him e-mails and other computer data communications of explicitly sexual content in an effort to invite him to engage in sexual conduct with her. Police investigation into the matter confirmed the student's report and Police Detectives apprehended Ms. Anton when she appeared at the student's residence in an apparent attempt to accomplish a sexual encounter.

Criminal ID Photo of Marisa Anton following her arrest Wednesday:

STATEMENT BY RICHARD ORGANISCIAK SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF NEW ROCHELLE: Ms. Marisa Anton, a librarian at New Rochelle High School, has been employed by the district since September 1, 2008. Ms. Anton had no prior criminal record and passed all background checks in compliance with New York State law. She has been suspended from her assignment until further notice.

As with all matters concerning our students, we take these allegations very seriously and are deeply concerned about the nature of the charges that have been made against one of our employees. The district will, of course, continue to give full cooperation to law enforcement authorities.

UPDATE 2:00 p.m. New Rochelle High School Principal Don Conetta delivered a robocall (after the jump) with a similar message to parents at New Rochelle High School. In addition, students were offered access to counselors for those students who are distraught over the news of the arrest of Anton.

STATEMENT BY NEW ROCHELLE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL DON CONETTA

Dear Parents,

As you may have learned through news reports earlier today, the New Rochelle Police Department has arrested one of our librarians, Marissa Anton. She has been charged with a D felony involving a minor. The allegations involve a male student here at New Rochelle High School.

Ms. Anton has been suspended from her assignment until further notice. As with all matters concerning our students, these allegations are taken very seriously. We are deeply concerned about the nature of the charges that have been made against her. The high school staff, in conjunction with district administration will, of course, give full cooperation to law enforcement authorities.

If your child is concerned or distraught about this situation, please be assured that as always, counselors, teachers and administrators are readily available to support them.

On the New Rochelle High School Faculty & Staff Staff Directory, Marisa Anton is listed as the Site Administrator and Librarian at New Rochelle High School. Her biography lists here education as follows:

Last week, Talk of the Sound broke the news that Patrick Clark, an electrician working for the New Rochelle Board of Education was arrested in an internet sting set up by the Westchester County District Attorney's office. Clark was in City Hall yesterday, sources say, meeting with Reza Kholifar, Assistant to the Superintendent for Human Resources. Clark is due in White Plains City Court today.

Anton is the fifth school district employee arrested since 2009. Clark was arrested in 2012. Jose Martinez was arrested in 2011 on charges related to repeatedly raping a student at Isaac E. Young Middle School. Dianna Wessel was arrested in 2010 after refusing to take a breathalyzer and drug test after crashing her vehicle into three parked vehicles and then flipping her own vehicle. Vito Costa was arrested in 2009 in charges related to working a no-show job in the Buildings & Grounds department.

Anton is just the latest in a series of district employees alleged to have engaged in various sex crimes involving students and district employees: Clark went to meet a "15-year old girl" to have sex that was actually a criminal investigator for the DA, Anthony Newman (Glazier, Buildings & Grounds Department) sexually assaulted a district employee in City Hall. Donna Henry (Security Guard) transmitted a nude image of a 14-year old girl to two other district employees (her son and her daughter-in-law). Suspended for 30 days with pay, hearing, given a pay increase and relocated to New Rochelle High School.

Several school employees were referred by the New Rochelle Board of Education to the Westchester County District Attorney Sex Crimes unit. Leroy Manuel (Security Guard) engaged in a sexual relationship with a student, as a result of which she became pregnant, moved to Florida and had the baby, sources say. Robert McLean (Security Guard) engaged in sex with students. Kyle Figueroa (Security Guard) engaged in sex with students. After the Jose Martinez arrest, Figueroa was caught on camera receiving oral sex from a student in area of Room 105/106. Walter Hubbard (Janitor) was terminated after being caught multiple times viewing pornography on school district computers. Also, engaged in sex with students.

Jerome Planter (Security Guard) and Geeta Singh (Security Guard) submitted falsified residency records to New Rochelle Civil Service Commission to obtain a position with New Rochelle residency requirement.

Frank DeMasi (Carpenter/Buildings & Grounds) misappropriated school equipment, converting school van and tools for personal use. Kareem Ali (Finance/Special Education) sexually harassed a senior official in the finance department; prohibited from having direct contact with the woman and not allowed to walk past a certain point in the hallway on the second floor. Ali resurfaced again when the New Rochelle Public Library discovered $300,000 unaccounted for in 2011. He has since been reassigned to Special Education department. Danielle Carter (Security Guard ) caught stealing at ShopRite grocery store on Palmer Avenue while wearing her City School District of New Rochelle security uniform. Rasool Hassan Williams (Buildings & Grounds) murdered a man in Ohio. Williams was a repeat offender for many years, drug use, drug possession. Arrested while employed by the district. Arrested for murder in Ohio three weeks after leaving employment of New Rochelle school district, convicted, sentenced to life in prison. Len Ricci (Buildings & Grounds) hired despite felony drug arrest. Phil Carino (Janitor) hung stuffed monkey on a noose, district settled lawsuit for racist behavior. Freddie Smith (Assistant Superintendent of Schools) numerous allegations of plagiarism, Doctorate revoked by University of Virginia, Fired at his next two jobs as these issues became known. Martin Freiman (Janitor): Suspended for making racist statements to children and staff at Jefferson Elementary School, long history of similar incidents. Jimmy Bonanno, Sr. (Buildings & Grounds) misappropriated school equipment and staff; directed school district employees to perform work on his girlfriend's house in Orange County.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was a breaking news story this morning and updated between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. The updates have either been incorporated into the final article or were replaced due to information contained in the official statements released later in the morning.

Will David was there when Anton was arraigned in New Rochelle City Court. He reports that Judge Anthony Carbone set bail or bond at $5,000. From David's report we also learned Anton's attorney is Michele Marianna Bonsignore from Scarsdale, NY; Assistant District Attorney Christopher Daniele revealed new information that Anton brought condoms with her to the student's home on Wednesday. David described Anton as "a blonde dressed in a cream-colored skirt with a cream and black sleeveless blouse", that her parents were in court and that she would move in with her parents. Anton accepted a temporary order of protection which bars her from any contact with the student. Anton is due back in court on June 7th. Read his entire report here.

News12 was the only media outlet besides Talk of the Sound that made the connection to two previous arrests of New Rochelle Board of Education employees -- Patrick Clark last week and Jose Martinez last year.

There are 61 Comments

I certainly hope the district has changed their past behaviors and now have been following all laws and procedures for proper backround checks. I happen to know that they were lax on numerous occasions with letting this slide throughout the years.WAKE UP PEOPLE!!

We already know from a board member at the time that Jose Martinez began work for the district without a background check. We know that Pacheco and two other administrators worked without proper licenses. I know of several other cases where people with criminal records were hired by the district with no background check.

How about the case of Patrick Clark, the electrician? Do you think he had a background check? And what happened with him? Is he on paid leave? Was he fired? What happened? Inquiring minds want to know!

I WOULD NEVER assume that ANY procedure was done correct or that things were not overlooked on a basis of who knows who. It is absolutely a must that we determine if a backround check was done on Clark.
As far as him being paid, there were reports that he was initially not going to be paid, but that in fact he is as of today. He is also due in court.

The issue is the careless hiring -- no background checks, no licenses, failure to follow Civil Service law, hiring people with criminal records/continuing to employ people who commit crimes -- which is a function of the laissez faire attitude bred by the practice of hiring from the friends and family network.

What the City could use is a Compliance Czar for Personnel -- someone responsible for making sure that all the i's are dotted and t's crossed on SAVE Law, 211 Law, Licensing, Civil Service, etc.

How and why would any of the be to blame here? This is beyond typical nay-sayer mentality. In fact, in an incident like this one, I would even fall short of blaming the district. Here a qualified individual, with no red flags in a background investigation had either a momentary lapse in judgement, or deeper rooted issues and was caught in a sting that was in essence proactive. Let the case unfold and justice prevail.

Although the CSD is tragically flawed, and perhaps poorly managed, in this case what else could they have done?

"a qualified individual, with no red flags in a background investigation"

On what basis do you make this claim? What is that you know that we don't?

And what red flags came up SINCE she was hired until the day of her arrest?

We do not know anything about her hiring process, or her personnel file or that she even had a background check (the district claims this but offers no proof).

I want you to keep in mind that the district was aware of this arrest and the arrest of Patrick Clark last week on similar charges BEFORE we published. The same with the Jose Martinez case last year. The district was silent. The board was silent. And their hope was to remain silent forever and hope no one ever found out.

Had Talk of the Sound not published these stories -- and many others like them -- you would have never heard about Martinez, Clark and Anton or people like Anthony Newman, Donna Henry, Leroy Manuel, Kyle Figueroa, Bobby McLean, et al. What you are seeing is not as a result of a sudden outbreak of sex crimes in our school system but an outbreak of sunlight on a long and sordid tradition of covering up these sorts of crimes so that parents will be leave that the district is well-managed, safe and free from sexual predators. I doubt we have more less such cases over the last few years than in years passed, only that the public is now learning about them due to reporting by Talk of the Sound (and its many wonderful sources in our community).

There are some who rail against Talk of the Sound (and me!) for exposing these and other problems in the district. Our not reporting them will not make them go away so what these people are really saying is that they PREFER allowing the sexual predators and thieves and liars and crooks to roam our schools at will without any public awareness.

I am very much in support of places like TOTS, and your diligent efforts in publishing a myriad of stories that would otherwise get swept under the rug. I supported your campaign for the BOE, and even defended your methods imploring people who did not support you that you would not be a majority on the board, but would keep that majority on their toes.

I am not happy about this incident. Nor am I happy about the nonchalant and face saving measures that the school board and administration choose to employ.

I do believe that in all likelihood though, that a mere minion (in this case an expendable librarian) would not have been put through state mandated, standard evaluations, aka a background check.

My understanding is that the employees in question had to apply for their jobs through the CS office. The CS office is responsible for making sure the people hired are qualified and are being hired on merit. Furthermore, the CS has the power to conduct background checks on any potential employees as per both state and local law. Likewise, the CSC can intervene and declare an individual unfit for employment even if the hiring individual wants the person.

If the CS is not doing their job properly, then both the Mayor and the City Manager have a duty to correct it. They both took oaths to uphold the law and if one of the departments is not in compliance, they have a duty to act.

As with any large employer, specially one where there is a sensitive population of internal customers (children here), you would think that the office of human resources would have the tools in place to ensure that all newly hired personnel went through an exhaustive & timely background search, and also a yearly review of each personnel folder to ensure that their I-9's are correct & updated; that civil service records are correct & truthful; that teaching or administrative licenses are there & up to date (and appropriate to their job description), but I would venture to claim that this is not the case with our BOE. Folders are probably ineptly kept because no one is auditing them (at least no outside agency). In medical settings, you have DOH & JCAHO reviews which forces your institution to carefully review all of your personnel records. No such possibility in our schools. I am not saying that you could predict occurrences like you have here, but you certainly create forums for discussions. I know from experience that progressive discipline does not occur in our schools - many employees get away with so much and the union always looks the other way. As a former Union lawyer and Director of Labor Relations, you cannot tell me that every single employee in our school distric is exemplary. No. There are bad apples, but there is so much complicty and looking the other way, that it negatively impacts & demoralizes the good employees. Let me say this again: How can the union president be paid by the District over $100,000 a year to teach one class and work almost full-time as an advoicte for the union. There is no precedent anywhere and to continue with this charade is not only silly, it undermines ethics and it puts the administration and the BOE in an unenviable position of looking like buffoons.

From what I read, there was no reason to assume that Anton would behave in the manner that she subsequently is alleged to engage in. This does not appear to be a case of a breakdown in the hiring process.

There are, however, cases as indicated where the absence of background checks, references, and other pre-employment due diligence is initiated. The size of the district and the direct support provided by the HR function suggest that the District must work diligently with the Union Representatives, appropriate City Agencies and to me, points out the need for a much more aggressive negotiation stance with the Union to deal with these matters without roadblocks and of course, without violating due process and grievance provisions.

Not an easy task. Just today, the New York Post was running parallel stories on other teachers who misplaced their libidos at the doorsteps of minors in their school districts.

I think this is a potential tipping point in school district and community relations given the all too frequent incidences, many cited by TOTS, that cast a negative light on the district, endanger the welfare of our children, and make New Rochelle an even more unattractive place for commercial investment and residential growth. It comes on top of other negatives in terms of overall school district drops in student performance and other indices of a thriving district.

It makes the unofficial "hands-off" policy of the current City Administration unresponsive to the electorate as the ultimate responsibility of a safe community; in this case a school district cannot be separated from basic urban planning and development. No amount of sophistry or deflection changes that elemental fact.

Chrissane Petrone and her closest colleagues need support period. I encourage her to reach out to Noam Bramson and set up an arrangment to address the most pressisng issues facing the district.

I further advise her to reach out to Martin Daly and the other union representative to productively discuss the issues and potential solutions; in effect, partner.

And, without a scintilla, a shadow of a doubt, the Council must play a lead part along with the School District trustees. I do think there are serious process issues involved and surely senior district management issues. However in all fairness, the Anton situation seems like something that would have survived background checks, but likely, given what has been said, represented something someone knew more about and likely the students have a viewpoint on this situation.

The students should not be isolated from issues like this especially at the High School level. They are signficantly invested in the outcomes of a thriving district.

I am going to repeat that the Council Member Fertel, with experience in both district and city affairs, should be the formal liaision representing the City.

I would like to see Martin Sanchez, with experience as a trustee and a experienced lawyer appointed as one of the Council appointees to work with Barry Fertel. For a novelty, let Noam step back and let Shari, Lou, Jared, Ivar, or Al appoint another.

I think this makes sense; it should not be a committee rather an action team designed to both set up a formal relationship between the school board and city council. Chrisanne should make two appointments as well as delegate the Fertel equivalent to Hastie with his recent experience in the systems (PTA I believe).

Turn em loose and ask them to wrap it up by year end. Meanwhile let the system work as currently set up for Anton.

Oh, perhaps it would be a good community interface to ask Bob Cox and the City Communication's officer to serve as members as well.

Just a thought grounded I think in proper City Charter expression and in community practical terms.

We have elections to elect people to do this. How about holding our elected representatives to account to do the job we elected them to do?

I realize you mean well but your ideas bear no relation to the reality of how the City operates. You may as well wish for trees with leaves of gold to grow in City parks as a solution to the budget crisis. You think that the solution is for Chrisanne Petrone to reach out to Noam Bramson to address issues facing the district? Noam can't even run his own City Council, why would you want him meddling in the school district? You think the solution is for Chrisanne to reach out to Marty Daly? On what basis? Board members do not deal directly with the union, that is the role of the administration. You think Barry Fertel has something to offer here? Based on what past track record?

You wrote "From what I read, there was no reason to assume that Anton would behave in the manner that she subsequently is alleged to engage in. This does not appear to be a case of a breakdown in the hiring process.. the Anton situation seems like something that would have survived background checks..."

What is that you imagine you read? There is no hard data that tells you anything about the hiring process as it applied to Marisa Anton. This strikes me as wishful thinking posing as critical analysis.

Let's work with the system of government we actually have, hold people accountable to do the jobs they were "hired" to do and not make baseless assertions about what Ms. Anton's background or work file might have told us about her proclivities.

bob i appreciate your comments, but it is realistic to take the view that the arrangements in place cannot, perhaps will not fix the problem and it is preferable to come up with a tested way in both industry and politics to address the issue. I can understand your hesitation, but electing a school board with or a city government with limited accountability to the people has not worked and all we seem to do is to report on that fact and not act.

Bob, i do more than "mean well" I recommend how to do well. For example, we have many examples in government where action teams have made recommendations signed off by their sponsors that have made major differences in governance. Currently, if Obama and the Congress would have embraced the Simpson-Bowles Report, things would be on sounder footing in our nation.

I am not sure of why you take such a narrow view of coming up with a new arrangement. I don't think you would deny the role that a thriving school district has on the potential of commercial and residential growth. I don't think you would unhesitatingly support the notion that the brief 3 minute interlude given to community members once a month to "speak up" accomplishes much more than fix a light or move back a sign. It does not change the fact that we have a government based on the will of one man and his party/contributors, one in conflict with the City Charter, so what is your remedy.

you will always achieve 11,000 or so posts on this sort of thing. What troubles me is that people who never comment on other stories come forth on this.

And, frankly, you are toying with me a tad on "what did I imagine i read." Every pronouncement does not reflect directly on your words. Let me clarify. I see nothing in your posting, Martin's or any other that suggests that this woman should not have been hired. I said that only because of the comments that indicate issues with the hiring process and yes, there are many, most reported by you.

In sum, I am for coming up with solutions whether adopted or not. What I recommend I have done or seen done. I have a list of people representing industry or university, most retired now, that can attest to this fact. However, as with any initiative, if there is no support, only an apathetic community, or critics who prefer critique to corrective actioin, well....

my quareel is not with you. My hope is that you are an agent of change. So I fin your posting a little off-putting, almost as if you prefer the song continues rather than ends.

I am anything but naive. I am hopeful, "mean well", and very sure that the only way this dysfunctional city will change is to make positive contributions toward that end.

You have gathered some young people in this posting. That is great. They are invested.

Let me end on the Daly point. Perhaps you have not dealt with third party issues. Let me tell you how this works with Daly. (1) Organisciak is the assigned management negotiator, (2) he is appointed as such by the school board, not voted into this position, (3) the school board instructs him to open dialogue, or better, tells him to stand aside, while Chrissane replaces him on this, (4) she initiates contact with Daly etc..... It is not as unusual as you think. Fertel on the other hand, has something to offer. He has experience in both camps. He may not have served well in either, but he has the knowledge of how this works. He is buttressed by a team of people who can make it work.

I see the glass half full. You notice you are on my "dream team" to make things work.

I wish we can have a field demonstration of this suggestion so I could prove to your skeptical side that I could make it work.

Bob, I value you greatly for what you have brought to me and the city. No sense in answering any retort on your part. Had my say. Let the people speak and I would only hope they would speak out on your point of (my words)."you get the government you deserve." maybe teammates would quarrel less if those who sit by while New Rochelle burns would turn to matters other than this. Anton, in the scheme of things is not overly relevant to the big issues we face as a community.

I do not often take issue with what you write but when I do it is because I believe you are mistaken.

Regarding Anton, we have no reliable information on how Anton was hired or what is in her personnel folder. You are drawing conclusions without these facts while ignoring the broader context. In my view, you have it precisely backwards.

We have one claim from the district that Anton passed a background check without any documentation of this claim. This is the same district that has admitted to hiring people without background checks and appears to have lied in the specific case of convicted child rapist Jose Martinez regarding his background check.

I am not saying she did NOT have a background check I am just saying that we do not know that for sure and certainly not because Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak says so. Give his long history of mendacity there is every reason to believe he is lying when he makes any claim.

Even if she did have a background check that is not the same thing as saying that there was nothing to indicate a problem prior to her arrest on Wednesday. In fact, I have information, unconfirmed, that suggests quite the opposite (stay tuned for more on that) is the case.

Again, the broader context is the well-known, systematic, willful behavior by school officials to circumvent New York State law regarding the SAVE Law (background checks), Civil Service Law, Administrative Licensing requirements and much more. All of this is fact, documented on this site with records, images and video. It is a fact that the district has knowingly hired people with criminal records, continued to employ people who are convicted of crimes while employed by the district, knowingly violated state laws on licensing of administrators, knowingly violated state pension laws and knowingly violated state civil service laws.

Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak views himself as a power unto himself, above the law, and is typically not held to account by the board which employs him. I say typically because there has been some slight change in the past year under Chrisanne Petrone.

Given the many documented cases, why would you conclude that in the absence of evidence we should assume that she was hired properly and gave no indications of the behavior that led to her arrest this week? That is the question that informs my reply to your comment.

When it comes to the school district, I prefer the Napoleonic Code -- guilty until proven innocent. How about you?

I'm a student from NRHS and I believe that your information about the security guards having sex with students is false. I understand you have the right to free press, but please verify with your sources that all of these accounts are true.

Talk of the Sound is not in the habit of publishing stories based on sources where we do not verify sources. So, rest assured our sources were verified long ago.

A free press is not the same thing as making knowingly false, injurious statements about people. That is called defamation and is actionable in a court of law.

I have been writing about these three security guards and janitor for over a year. The janitor has since been fired (for being caught one too many times "looking at" porn on school district computers). At least one of the security guards at the high school has been transferred to Isaac. No one, including the four people you appear to reference has ever denied any of this, contacted this publication demanding a correction, taken legal action or otherwise contended the facts. When I tried to contact them, they did not reply.

There is absolutely no doubt that what we have been reporting for several years about district employees engaged in various forms of sexual malfeasance is true. There have been two felony sex-crimes arrests in the past week, three in the past 14 months. There are many other cases where arrests ought to have occurred but did not.

You say "I believe that your information about the security guards having sex with students is false."

Based on what? I can only figure that one of these people has told you they are "innocent".

We have a track record of breaking exactly the sort of stories you are reading here and everyone one of those stories has ultimately been accepted as having been correct even among our harshest critics -- the truth hurts.

What is your track record? Who are you? What special knowledge do you have? While I appreciate you are presenting yourself as a high school student and therefore I will grant you the right to some youthful exuberance, you are going to learn someday that just because some guy you met at school told you they did not really have sex with students does not mean they are telling the truth.

You seem to have a track record of bashing New Rochelle, but to be completely honest sir, New Rochelle High School students do not enjoy the amount of attention you bring to their school. I also understand that you have children that attend the school, do you realize how hard it must be for them to have a Father that blows things way out of proportion?(Rabadi Incident) You also seem to be very effete with the times, things change, but people, people don't. Which is why Superman is way cooler then Batman. So to be honest, just go kick some rocks someplace other then New Rochelle.

Incidents like these have plagued the high school for decades. The reason you do not hear or see it is because you are probably in class, taking advantage of the education offered to you. The administration and security heads sweep the problem under the rug, or into another building.

Are you kidding me? I am a parent of several NRHS students, and perhaps I missed the part of your article that clarified that some of these crimes were alleged and not proven. Or perhaps I missed the part that said this information is simply "hear-say." Because I can't believe that if these allegations are true (particularly the ones of sexual activity with students by security guards) WHY are ANY of them still employed there. I've asked my children about the names you have listed and they definately are able to state that some of them are still there (in addition to Ms. Henry who you identified as remaining employed). If the security detail (which I knew that some of them are less than professional) is outsourced, then CHANGE THE SOURCE. If they are engaging in sexual activity with students they should be PROHIBITED from even entering the school. New Rochelle School District has got to be aware of the liability these employees pose. Unbelievable!

May i suggest you attend monthly Board if Ed meetings and be heard. Your questions deserve answers and unfortunately will not be answered on this forum. You need to address the Board with your concerns.And just for the record, the sexual activity that you question as "hear say" is in fact true. You are right, UNBELIEVABLE.
One last note, as of June 30th Ms. Henry will no longer be employed.

If I had just heard that a student had accused a teacher of sending him/her inappropriate texts or photos I would be a little more hesitant to assume gulit until more information or evidence was provided, but the fact that this woman showed up at the young mans house under the pretense that they would be having sex is proof enough for me. How can Antone make excuses for her behavior, why would she show up at his home if she wasn't persuing a relationship with this young man? What other reason was she there for? I can't wait to see how the BOE tries to talk their way out of this one, or better yet how they will try to sweep it under the rug like they normally do in these situations. Well, NR BOE and administration, I suggest you find a solution to this ongoing problem of unethical employees in your district, which has gotten out of hand to say the least. As a parent I fear for the safety of my children each day I send them to school. What a shame...

I'm not really sure what all of the fuss is about. The student in question should feel honored that he was receiving that type of attention from an attractive cougar. Are there any indications as to the sexual orientation of the male? I am doubting at the moment he is straight, which makes him the wrongdoer in the eyes of the Lord.
God Bless everyone.

And what would your comment be if the teacher was male and the student was female: "The female student was 'Asking for it?'"
Would that reverse gender situation change your opinion about the effects upon the minor?
Why?
Go to therapy and find out "why." And if it is still perfectly okay if the teacher was male and the student was female, well, then, you STILL need SERIOUS help.
And a better understanding of law.

So if the STUDENT was female -- whether or not the TEACHER who is LEGALLY BOUND TO UPHOLD THE WELFARE OF A MINOR -- it would have been "OK! WHOO_HOO!" in your book, correct?
Would you post what you did if, perhaps, Miss Anton also solicited female students? Would your opinion change then which is also a sound and police investigation possibility?
I am guessing if Miss Anton had any lesbian liaisons with underage students you would be mortified and pounding upon your Bible.
And if you are giving your own son a "high-five" if he "did" Miss Anton, then let CPS descend upon you and all the NYS and Federal laws to prove you are undoubtedly an unfit parent with severe basic moral and nurturing abnormalities.
Guess what? If the male student went to the police because he felt HARASSED and he confided in his parents about Miss Anton's actions because Anton's actions were inappropriate and made hime feel uncomfortable (opposite from you -- rent a XXX movie, do not post here about your desires and misfortunes) then it WAS sexual misconduct He CLEARLY did NOT feel nor interpreted his teacher's sexual misconduct as flattery -- if he did then he would not have gone to the police nor would there be a police report. He would be "enjoying it" -- according to you -- right now and this would have never become a police arrest. Since Miss Anton’s sexual advances were UNWANTED as he told his parents and TESTIFIED TO THE POLICE. Thank goodness he did and he had a strong bond with his parents to tell them.
By your post, if you have children (which I hope you do not) they will unlikely come to you when in crisis due to your hypercritical, narcissism and plain old obnoxious ignorance. You depict yourself in this post as the sperm donor of Snookie’s unborn child. Or, perhaps you and Anton have much in common?
Or you simply are envious of the MINOR CHILD and simply want to “do” Anton and do not care one iota about children – you are simply jealous of your long-lost youth and attractiveness. Sorry, Miss Anton simply does not seem to go for people like you.
BTW, did you ever consider -- for just one moment in your mid-life crisis upheaval that Anton solicited other students AGAINST THEIR WILL -- including females? Porno movies and your own twisted view of “reality” does not depict real life -- so get a grip on life. Apply your saltpeter. Sorry, “Porky’s” was NOT a documentary…..
But, of course, you could be a pedophile yourself. No matter -- the police will trace your IP address.
In fact, they already have :)

I am so not surprised that NR school district has a long list of all kinds of offenders. My kid's ongoing experience in the schools reflects the shoddy personnel hirings. There's a LOT that goes unreported in New Rochelle - bullying by teachers, administration, and staff comes to mind. Use of airhorns to discipline kids in gym class; name calling by teachers; throwing kids out of and locking them out of class; threats by administration to be left back; punishing a child's disability's symptoms; unfair suspensions....do you get the picture? So if this is going on in the schools themselves, is it any surprise that CRIMINALS are working here, getting PAID to abuse our kids??

Yes, maybe I do need to attend board meetings to be heard, but you know, there's a certain amount of trust that should be innate to a school. I should be able to trust that my kids are SAFE in SCHOOL. They aren't. And as long as the Good Ole Boys Club exists - starting with B of Ed straight down to the lunch monitors - as long as we tacitly agree that this Boys Club can continue to thrive, well then I guess criminals will continue to thrive too.

Start firing the useless faculty and staff, too. (should I name names?)

Yes, you should attend Board meetings and ask for answers to your concerns.With all the reporting that takes place on this site, I am still amazed at the lack of parent/resident involvement at the meetings.It doesnt take more than a little commom sense to realize that until the 'people' put pressure on the distict to be accountable, things will remain unchanged. This starts with meetings..AND budget voting.

The way the board sees it, if you are not showing up at meetings and expressing opposition during the public comment period or going to the polls or otherwise making yourself heard then this means you SUPPORT the school district.

This year about 4% of the 41K people that comprise the electorate in New Rochelle voted. About 70% of those who voted supported the budget.

How does the school board interpret this?

What I have heard many times from administrators and board members is that if 4% vote and 3% vote yes and 1% no then that means that 99% support the school district.

They have specifically said that if you do not vote that means you are satisfied with the budget, taxes, school performance and the administration.

As someone who does vote in school elections, I am curious what the non-voters think. If you do not vote in school elections please tell us what your not voting meant -- support, opposition, indifference, lack of awareness, what?

School Board Elections are a sham. They are neatly hidden in the calender, not highly publicized, and if that isn't enough, they get an automatic re-do if the budget fails. This is when the publicity starts. Cuts in programs, threatened lay offs, etc.

There has to be a better way, but anything that opposes the process is misconstrued as "hurting our children" or anti-education.

This system is broke. And the heat that the city get is twenty-fold in contrast to the relative obscurity that the BOE gets to function with. But they are the real drain on our tax base.

1. The elections are run by the school district not the board of elections like all other elections.

2. They are held in May not November when all other elections are held.

Add to this the following:

3. New Rochelle board member terms are 5 years where every other district in Westchester that elects their board has 3 year terms.

4. Only 2 board members are up for election in a given year, and just one every 5th year.

5.There are no term limits.

6. The board itself is actively involved and largely controls who runs for school board and openly works on behalf of "chosen" candidates.

As a result we currently have 2 board members serving their FIFTH 5 year terms and one serving their SIXTH 5 year term. The remaining 6 board members were all candidates hand-picked by the board itself and who campaigned with the support of the incumbent board members.

If the results of this were spectacular then you might be able to tolerate what amounts to a oligarchy.

The results are...

- New Rochelle High School is no longer ranked in the 2 major national surveys (Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report).

- Four of ten schools failed to make "AYP" in at least one-group this year.

- The real graduation rate is very low and worse for minority students.

- 5 district employees have been ARRESTED in the past 3 years; 3 of them for sex crimes involving minors in the last 14 months

- Violence and crime in the schools is out of control; the Superintendent just last week was practically begging the NAACP to somehow intervene and get the violence at the high school under control.

- The finances of the school district are a mess; a comparable school district (Monroe-Woodbury) was recently slammed by the State Comptroller for the same accounting gimmicks employed by New Rochelle.

There has been some small progress which I have noted many times but clearly it is not enough -- the problems are systemic and require a thorough house cleaning with a strong disinfectant.

At this point, Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak will be gone in two years -- the job search to replace him will begin next year. Getting rid of him might help if he is replaced by a person who will engage with the district and the public in an honest, forthright way.

But no change is going to matter unless the board itself grows a spine and comes to realize that the people elect them to set policy and provide accountability. That includes zero tolerance for criminals and the highest standards for compliance with state law, ethics and job performance.

A starting point might be to change the election of the board members -- there is no good reason that board members should not be elected in November. The elections should be for 3 seats and terms should be 3 years with a limit of no more than 3 terms. Remember Herman Cain? Instead of 999 we need a 333 plan. :-)

Seriously, with a 333 Plan, the public would have the ability to change 6 of the 9 board members in a period of 12 months and a day so that a new majority could be in power very quickly if the public was not satisfied. As it stands now it would take 3 years and with all the other factors mentioned above be virtually impossible anyway.

You make another very good point -- the obsession with the city budget is laughable when you consider that 80% of the money collected in taxes for the school and city spending goes to the schools not the city.

I don't see my the role of Talk of the Sound to make "welcoming gestures" to "entrenched power brokers". I see the role as bypassing these entrenched power brokers and going directly to the people of New Rochelle.

It is certainly the case, past being prologue, that these "entrenched power brokers can easily defeat any platform that you can possibly run on".

We live, however, in a new world where, thanks to the internet, residents can communicate directly with each other about issues of concern to them. Of course, this sort of freedom and power extended to every resident of New Rochelle is a direct assault on entrenched power. That is the whole point.

I make it my business to go out into the community, meet many people from all different walks of life and listen carefully to where they are coming from on issues of concern to residents. One of the things I have learned is that there is a large segment of the population that has given up on New Rochelle generally and its political process specifically. It is has been remarked on in a number of ways by a number of contributors to this site.

Having run for office myself, I can say with some degree of experience that the lack of turnout in elections, especially school elections is NOT voter apathy. It is not that people do not care. It is also not that people do not believe that their one vote matters. Many of these people are patriotic and do vote in general elections. The thing I hear most from residents who are not voting in school and city elections is that they believe that the system is rigged and that even winning an election will not result in their candidate or issue actually winning.

Many of these people point to the library vote several years ago where the referendum to create a separate library with its own with its own board of trustees and independent taxing and debt-incurring power was voted down twice and yet was put back up for a third vote where it passed.

S.O.S. From the Stacks

Celebration At Library After Vote

This is not to rehash the library vote debate from 9 years ago but to refresh people's memory on an event that is often cited by residents who oppose the district and its budgets but do not vote as to why they do not vote.

"We voted the library tax down twice and they passed it anyway".

What they do not realize is that the same law that allowed a third vote for the library does not apply to the school budget vote. Ron Tocci sponsored the legislation on school budget votes -- there are TWO votes not THREE. If the budget is defeated twice the state imposes a contingency budget.

My point with the 333 plan is that it is a step towards voters having more power by having votes more often, having more seats to be voted on and ending the absurd situation where three board members are serving 5 and 6 5 year terms.

The City of New Rochelle's first school budget vote took place in 1997. Three of the board members on at that time are still on the board 15 years later. At that time these three board members had been on the board for many years already. The most absurd, of course, is the continual re-election of Mary Jane Reddington who will have served for 30 years at the end of her current term next year.

The degree of self-importance one must attribute to oneself to justify hogging up a seat on the board for three decades is mind-boggling to me. That she has been re-elected that many times shows just how out-of-touch and dysfunctional the current system is. The other two multi-decade board members share the same belief -- that somehow the board and the district will not be able to manage without their guidance.

First, no one is that important.

Second, these board members can continue to mentor and advise new board members without actually sitting on the board.

I am well aware of the mindset of many New Rochelle residents. I am just not interested in bemoaning the fact. I am also not interested pie-in-the-sky "solutions". The only thing I know how to do is push forward.

As a starting point, the system we have is the system we have. Looking for the State or some judge or the Federal government or some other outside agency to save us from ourselves is not productive, in my view. So, I start from the point of working within the system we have now.

An author once wrote:

"There's another reason for working inside the system. Dostoyevsky said that taking a new step is what people fear most. Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and chance the future. This acceptance is the reformation essential to any revolution. To bring on this reformation requires that the organizer work inside the system..."

If you step back and look at what I have done over the past four years with Talk of the Sound you will note that I have focused exclusively on New Rochelle. Those in power complain and point away from New Rochelle -- Yonkers is worse! What about Mount Vernon? This sort of thing happens everywhere, why pick on us?

In other words, I picked the target (New Rochelle), froze it (focused on it to the exclusion of all else, personalized it (Noam Bramson, Richard Organisciak) and polarized it (controversial, confrontational, aggressive).

That is beginning the education process necessary to prepare the way for real change.

There are other tactics I have employed -- make those in power live up to their own rule book (hypocrites), make it fun and change things up, be unpredictable, keep the pressure on, etc. I am sure some readers will recognize these tactics.

While I did not win in my election last year I believe I ran a good race and in just 3 weeks time managed to bring together a diverse coalition that took on everything that the entrenched power (school board, PTA, teachers union, administration, the Mayor, the Democratic party, etc.) could throw at the campaign. I am especially pleased that over 8,000 votes were cast; more than double this year.

I look back to 2008 when I first began. I was alone and with all the forces of entrenched power aligned against me. Three years later I had almost 1800 people vote for me and 4 of the 10 schools voted for me 1st, 1 of them 2nd so half the schools wanted me for 1 of the 2 open spots. I also won the Holy Name district and came in second at 95 Lincoln.

Given that progress, I want to focus my energy on where things could be 3 years from now (2015 city election).

It is not optimism but rather a belief that by a consistent effort to expose the system, keep the pressure on and offer residents a better alternative, two things will happen -- those in power will be forced to change for the better to remain in power or they will be removed.

Bob and I are different in how we see some matters. However, he has my respect and should have yours.

It is simple. Read Sunday's posts. He is clear in his approach, his methodology, and has firmly established where he will play and how he will play. Of course I don't agree with some of it.

So what! He is providing a forum; sometimes you wonder, for example, why certains matters are as they are. For example, pulling out dated posts on old news like Principal Joseph retiring, etc. You want to unabashedly yell out, come on we want the same thing, can't you endorse a post or two dealing with something that could lead to a positive outcome such as the upcoming Armory presentation.

But, he explains it as he sees and feels it with no B.S. Of course I want it otherwise; but maybe that is my own little niche for sight visibility.

I don't challenge him on much for one simple reason -- it is that the there are different roads to a destination that we both share. That is, build a better community, empower the electorate, and ..

well you know most of it. Bob quotes Doesteovsky; I like to look at an equally shattered shell of a human being mainly Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway, based on material from TheAwl.com once said, "Critics are men who watch a battle from a high place, and then come down and shoot the survivors."

Hard to argue based on the historical record if such men seek political power. History is replete with examples.

But, that said, I want to find directions to take that will empower the community and spread the power among the many talented people like so many down these parts, who are shut out.

Bob is particular adept at ferreting out venues that shut out people based on his knowledge of the Open Meeting Law. Many of us have voices, voices which have substance and are muted because a closed door meeting eliminates us from playing time. I am hoping that the upcoming Comprehensive meeting adds value -- the agenda seems decent, different from what I have seen, but the proof of the pudding is truly in the tasting.

Yeah, I would love to collect some power of my own, call a few shots, but never going to happen. What I can do is what I do best. That is simply I know how to get things done and recognize unlike most people that the post 9.11 era calls for new paradigms or ways of governing. Look at the world, listen to the crosscurrents, and know that "everyman" becomes further and further isolated from power and, Bob, I believe that apathy does play a role whether driven by disaffectiveness or laziness, it is problematic.

Nothing is simple nowadays on its face. Yet in outcome terms, there are not that many changes from how a prudent man and woman manage a relationship, family, budget. It is harnassing what people know or expect into terms and conditions that work for the greater good that confounds us.... if it did not and were we more resigned to sacrifice, we would have already given up one or two family vehicles and accepted the disciplines suggwsted by a Simpson-Bowles plan.

I am going to work the glass full side of the street as that is where I feel the change will come.

Next week I will post the City Charter portions that no one, repeat no one talks about and challenge all of you to reflect on what the hell this means.

Next week I have one elemental questiion for the EnviroN people and it is.... "how does the Administration believe that failure to identify, define, desribe and then correct readily apparent deficits in traditional revenue generating or expense management, solve the dilemma we are in as a community? I will be a lot clearer -- how do you not work out the apparent issues in the school district to increase your chances of attracting new commercial investment or higher end tax paying residential in transit? How do you justify not initiating any discernible corrective action in restoring and rebuiling the main street business corridor, migratinig city services, police presence, and other supports in a visible manner such as occupying real estate for that purpose, and how can you avoid examine other conditions affecting revenue growth and tax relief by not attending to rezoning, IDA and BID refocus and reconstitution.

Windy and wordy isn't it. Well would you add an extensiion onto your house if the rest was in disrepair? Are you comfortable with the way your city looks down these parts? Shouldn't your direct elected officials have much more public of a voice focused on the right issues.

Robert Cox is not to everyone's taste and I wish he would change some ways he goes about or priortizes things, but the guy is honest and direct. Read what he says in this long, lamentable story about the pirate lady that he published today. Not one Sophistic rationale (ancient Greek for B.S.) that all too often explain City actions.

An example, Noam invokes a priortiy of community access on waterfront property when given the upcomng RFP process. What waterfront given the redesigned Echo Bay MOU? Are we talking about a walkway and are we conceding no residential or commercial input or rights if the MOU goes through. This is a sophistic passive resistance to the Armory RFP nothing more or less and I wish it were otherwise so that Noam would apply his intelligence and group leader skills to what is clearly something going in a different direction.

That direction could use you on Thursday at 7:30 pm at the American Legion Hall on NOrth Avenue. That evening, our own neighbors, led by Ron Tocci will give you a fresh supportive vision of the community potential of our Armory resource.

Nothing from my end to apologize for. Don't think I infer that in my remarks. I tend to have problems with where my comments go as I review all postings several times under the topic at hand and my thoughts may cover a number of different points.

I am undisciplined that way and Bob reminds me of this. I have re-read your comments and mine and I stick to something I told you elsehere. You are a fine poster and strongly committed to points of view that I find more than useful.

The Guinness is still on me especially when we work together and with others to turn this City around.

A question to you for some future reference. How where things in this town prior to Idoni? Did something take place during his terms of service that caused this radical drift away from what the City Charter indicates how this City is to be managed and by whom.

I like that fact that you have actively uncovered countless issues that would otherwise be tucked deeply into a closet in City Hall (including the spacious section of the building housing the BOE).

You have been consistent, and persistent with your efforts, and have obviously gained the attention of the entrenched powers that be. They have painted a jaded portrait of you, and TOTS that has penetrated into the lemmings that follow their mantra, blindly and unyielding.

I am not sure whether a remedy or tonic will ever be digested by these folk. Whereas the revolving door in the north end of town brings new blood with it as one generation utilizes the system (flaws and all). They are blinded by the rhetoric, and histamine that deliberately draws a divide between the fortunate at Albert Leonard, and the other side of the track lot at IEY.

The unfortunate incidents with librarians and electricians should empower your movement. It is an undeniable fumble at the goal line and it is the right time to pounce and illustrate the flaws continue to demonstrate exactly why these "Blue Ribbon" schools are in desperate need of oversight.

There was an ELECTED member of the City Library Board CONVICTED on the exact same circumstance. That person had a radio show on local airwaves and was active in other community activities. Obviously Backround checks are worthless as these behaviors are well hidden, even by people you 'think you know well'...

Not foolproof maybe, not dispositive maybe but a library board election is not a fingerprint criminal background check.

The idea is to make sure you have done all that you can to vet people, especially those who have responsibility for children, hire the best candidates and have a high standard for conduct and a zero tolerance policy for certain, specific bad behavior.

In New Rochelle, there is little or no effort to vet people, the "best" candidates are those connected to the friends and family network, there is no standard for conduct and anything goes policy that allows the hiring and continued employment of convicted criminals.

How about a policy that if you convicted of a felony you cannot work in a position which entails direct contact with children? How about a policy that if you are convicted of a crime while employed you are fired? How about a policy were any indication of crimes against a child results in a report to Child Protective Services.

You are absolutely correct, Mr. Cox. These crimes get ignored and covered up every day. And parents like myself are too intimidated by administration to do anything about it.

I should have called CPS on two separate occasions for two different teachers for their physically threatening behavior toward my child. I live with that regret. If you would like names and dates I'm happy to comply.